NEW YORK -- Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau has been fined $2,000 as supplementary discipline under NHL Rule 64 (Diving/Embellishment), the National Hockey League announced today.
NHL Rule 64 is designed to bring attention to and more seriously penalize players (and teams) who repeatedly dive and embellish in an attempt to draw penalties. Fines are assessed to players and head coaches on a graduated scale outlined below:
Citation # | Player Fine(s) | * Head Coach Fine(s)
1 | Warning | N/A
2 | $2,000 | N/A
3 | $3,000 | N/A
4 | $4,000 | N/A
5 | $5,000 | $2,000
6 | $5,000 | $3,000
7 | $5,000 | $4,000
8 | $5,000 | $5,000
* For head coaches, each FINE issued to a player on his club counts toward his total. Four FINES issued to one player or a club collectively results in the head coach receiving his first fine.
Citations are issued by the National Hockey League Hockey Operations Department, which tracks all games, logs all penalties for diving or embellishment, and flags all plays not called on the ice that in its opinion were deserving of such a penalty. A Citation is issued once Hockey Operations, through its internal deliberations, is convinced that a player warrants sanction.
Gaudreau was issued a Warning following an incident flagged by NHL Hockey Operations during NHL Game No. 514 against Vancouver on Dec. 23. His second Citation, which triggered the $2,000 fine, was issued for an incident at 8:06 of the second period during NHL Game No. 962 against NY Islanders on March 5. Offsetting minor penalties were assessed on the play, to Islanders forward Josh Ho-Sang for holding and to Gaudreau for embellishment.
The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.
NEW YORK - Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg, Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews and Calgary Flames left wing Johnny Gaudreau have been named the NHL's "Three Stars" for the week ending Feb. 26.
FIRST STAR - FILIP FORSBERG, LW, NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Forsberg led all skaters in goals and points (8-2-10 in 4 GP), including back-to-back hat tricks, as the Predators gained seven of a possible eight standings points to improve their record to 31-22-9 (71 points), third in the Central Division. On Feb. 21, Forsberg recorded his third career hat trick in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames and followed it up with another three-goal performance, including the winning goal, in a 4-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Feb. 23. In doing so, Forsberg became the first player in franchise history to record hat tricks in consecutive games and the first NHL player to achieve the feat since Vancouver's Alexandre Burrows on Jan. 5 and Jan. 7, 2010. Forsberg closed out the week with one goal and two assists in a 5-2 triumph over the Washington Capitals on Feb. 25 and one goal in a 5-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 26. The 22-year-old Ostervala, Sweden, native leads the Predators in goals and sits second on the team in points with 24-22-46 in 62 games.
SECOND STAR - JONATHAN TOEWS, C, CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
Toews recorded multi-point efforts in each of the Blackhawks three games (4-5-9) as Chicago won all three contests to improve their overall record to 39-18-5 (83 points), second in the Central Division. On Feb. 21, Toews matched career highs for goals (3) and points (5) in a game, including the winning tally, in a 5-3 victory over the Central Division-leading Minnesota Wild. The Blackhawks captain then notched two assists in a 6-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Feb. 23 before closing out the week with one goal and one assist in a 4-2 triumph over the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 26. The 28-year-old Winnipeg, Man., native is currently riding a six-game point streak (5-8-13).
THIRD STAR - JOHNNY GAUDREAU, LW, CALGARY FLAMES
Gaudreau recorded eight points (2-6-8) in four road victories to propel the Flames (33-26-4, 70 points) to the first Wild Card position in the Western Conference. He began the week with four assists in a 6-5 OT win over the Nashville Predators Feb. 21. On Feb. 23, he recorded one assist in a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning before being held off the scoresheet in a 4-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Feb. 24. Gaudreau finished the week with two goals and one assist, including the winner, in a 3-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 26. A 23-year-old native of Salem, N.J., Gaudreau sits second in Flames scoring with 43 points (13-30-43) in 53 games.
- NHL Public Relations
